Spring locking device

ABSTRACT

Spring locking means for releasable ski bindings. A spring backed locking device is provided for releasable ski bindings of such construction that the adjustment of spring tension and an indication of the magnitude of such adjustment are both accomplished by a single and the same component. A tubular fitting is provided mountable on a ski and has a retractable pin projecting from one end thereof for engagement with the desired releasable fitting. One end of a compression spring is caused to bear against said pin and the other end of said spring is received into a cap threaded onto said tubular fitting. Grooves are cut into the threads of said tubular fitting for receiving position indicating indicia and windows are provided in the cap through which windows such indicia may be read. Rotation of the cap adjusts the tension on the spring and the position of such cap and consequently the tension on said spring can be read through said windows.

United States Patent [191 Koos [ Dec. 9, 1975 SPRING LOCKING DEVICE [75] Inventor: Josef Koos, Vienna, Austria [73] Assignee: Gertsch AG, Zug, Switzerland [22] Filed: Aug. 14, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 497,219

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary ExaminerRobert R. Song Attorney, Agent, or FirmWoodhams, Blanchard and Flynn [57] ABSTRACT Spring locking means for releasable ski bindings. A spring backed locking device is provided for releasable ski bindings of such construction that the adjustment of spring tension and an indication of the magnitude of such adjustment are both accomplished by a single and the same component. A tubular fitting is provided mountable on a ski and has a retractable pin projecting from one end thereof for engagement with the desired releasable fitting. One end of a compression spring is caused to bear against said pin and the other end of said spring is received into a cap threaded onto said tubular fitting. Grooves are cut into the threads of said tubular fitting for receiving position indicating indicia and windows are provided in the cap through which windows such indicia may be read. Rotation of the cap adjusts the tension on the spring and the position of such cap and consequently the tension on said spring can be read through said windows.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures SPRING LOCKING DEVICE FIELD OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention relates to spring locking means for 5 line I-I of FIG. 2 and safety ski bindings, preferably for safety ski bindings having a releasable fitting which can be released from the ski against a spring force, in which means the force of the spring which causes the locking of a locking element on a receiving part can be adjusted by means of an adjusting member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Known spring lockings of this type are usually used to progressively adjust the locking force. In one type of such spring locking means, a screw is provided which is used as a spring abutment. The spring is compressed a selected amount by rotation of the screw. However, this device has the disadvantage that it cannot be determined clearly how much distance the screw has traveled. A narrow marking is required and this is difficult to read.

In a different spring locking device of the above-mentioned type, the adjusting member is wed ge-shaped and longitudinally movable in a guide. The adjusting member has a tapped hole, into which a rotatable screw engages, which screw, however, is arranged nonmovably in the associated ski binding part. However, this construction has the disadvantage that the shifting of the spring abutment causes a force transmission.

Furthermore intermediate rings, or spacers, are common for safety ski bindings which are suitable with a releasable fitting which can be released against spring force from the ski for indicating the adjusted spring force. However, these intermediate rings are not particularly easy to handle.

The objective of the invention is to produce a spring locking device of the type mentioned above, in which the force adjustment and the indication of the same is obtained with one single adjusting member. This objective is attained according to the invention by providing the housing of the ski binding with a thread on which is rotatably supported a threaded nut, preferably a crown nut, which comprises the adjusting member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The inventive spring locking means attains its objective in the simplest manner without using any further force-transmitting means. In particular, in the case of a safety ski binding for releasable fittings, the inventive construction is adapted also aesthetically to the holding mechanism.

A preferred embodiment of the inventive spring locking means can be seen in that a groove, slot or the like having different symbols, such as numbers or colors or the like, for indicating the adjusted force of the spring is arranged in the thread provided on the housing. This construction permits the indicating and reading of the respectively adjusted spring force.

According to a further feature of the invention, a lock nut can be arranged on the thread of the housing. This construction permits the crown nut which is provided as an adjusting member to also run easier on the thread of the housing without the danger of an undesired change in adjustment.

The invention will be discussed more in detail in connection with the drawing illustrating one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the inventive spring locking device according to FIG. 1. r

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The inventive spring locking device is secured by screws 4 in a holder 1 which holder is mounted on the ski 2 and is provided for holding a releasable fitting 13 which is indicated only by dash-dotted lines. The housing 3 of the holder 1 is in this arrangement screwed into place with the interpositioning of a washer plate 14, which permits the desired adjustment with respect to the releasable fitting 13.

The rearwardly extending body part of the housing 3 is provided with an external thread 9. A groove, slot 12 or the like is cut into the thread, preferably into the up per, central area of same. The groove has symbols 11, as for example numbers, colors or the like, to indicate the adjusted position of a crown nut 8 which is screwed onto the thread 9. The thread 9 also carries a lock nut 10, with which the crown nut 8 can be secured in a desired position. The crown nut 8 has a plurality of windows 11A therein and through which said indicia be comes visible.

The housing 3 has a through opening 5. The holding pin 6 projects from the holder through the front end of the opening 5. The holding pin 6 has in a conventional manner a collar which is engageable with an inwardly extending shoulder of the opening 5. The part of the pin 6 comprising the collar is provided on its inside with a bore for receiving a spring 7. The spring is guided through the entire length of the opening 5 of the housing 3 and is supported at its other end on the inside of the crown nut 8.

For adjustment of the spring locking means to the desired tension, the lock nut 10 is first rotated in direction of the threadless part of the housing 3, in order to permit an unhindered rotation of the crown nut 8. The crown nut 8 is rotated sufficiently in the desired direction to cause its inner edge to stand at the desired indicating value. Then the lock nut 10 is screwed against said crown nut 8 to secure same.

The invention is not limited to the discussed exemplary embodiment. Various changes can be made without thereby departing from the scope of the invention. For example, it is possible to use a common screw nut in which case the lock nut is not required. Of course, in such case a stonger thread lead will be needed.

If the spring locking is intended for use with springs having various strengths and having different spring characteristics, so that also the adjusting values must show different scales, it is possible to provide in addition to the one groove, slot or the like, a second or also third such, in which different symbols for the appropriate spring characteristics are also provided.

Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed above for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that variations or modifications thereof which lie within the scope of the appended claims are fully contemplated.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a safety ski binding, a spring locking device having an elongated hollow housing with a body part thereon, said body part having a threaded portion at one end thereof, a crown nut rotatably secured on said threaded portion, a locking element at the end of said hollow housing remote from said crown nut and a spring engaging and extending between said crown nut and said locking element to urge said locking element into engagement with a counterlocking part, a rotation of said crown nut on said threaded portion effecting a change in the spring force acting on said locking element, the improvement comprising means defining at least one elongated groove in said body part, the longitudinal axis of which is parallel to the axis of said body in a desired position and at a desired spring force. 

1. In a safety ski binding, a spring locking device having an elongated hollow housing with a body part thereon, said body part having a threaded portion at one end thereof, a crown nut rotatably securEd on said threaded portion, a locking element at the end of said hollow housing remote from said crown nut and a spring engaging and extending between said crown nut and said locking element to urge said locking element into engagement with a counterlocking part, a rotation of said crown nut on said threaded portion effecting a change in the spring force acting on said locking element, the improvement comprising means defining at least one elongated groove in said body part, the longitudinal axis of which is parallel to the axis of said body part, said groove having indicia therein and indicator means on said crown nut for cooperating with said indicia to indicate the extent to which said spring force is adjusted.
 2. The improved spring locking device according to claim 1, wherein said indicia is located at axially spaced intervals in said groove and window means are provided on said rotatable crown nut through which said indicia becomes visible.
 3. The improved spring locking device according to claim 2, including a lock nut for locking said crown nut in a desired position and at a desired spring force. 